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1 Day in Rocky Mountain National Park
Stanley Hotel The Stanley Hotel was first on our stop. Many people know this hotel because of Stephen King’s, The Shining. The movie wasn’t actually filmed here, although Stephen King has said this hotel provided some of the inspiration behind his haunted tale. When you are coming over the mountain and crest the top of the road entering Estes Park, you will see the hotel almost immediately in the distance. The hotel is nestled nicely between towering mountains and the views coming into this charming town are beautiful. Lake Estes below and the Rocky mountains all around, you will want to pull over immediately and take a few pictures to…
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Tips for Kayaking the Coosa River
Last April, on a beautiful sunny day, we decided that we wanted to try something new. Kayaking down a river instead of the calm waters of our lake. I did a little research and found several adventure companies near by that we could rent the kayak and have transportation to our drop in location. We went with a company out of Wetumpka, AL called Coosa River Adventures. Our cost was $25/per person for a sit on top kayak and this included your life jacket and transportation. If you are looking for sit-in kayaks, you will need to bring your own. These are too much of a liability and you can’t…
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Unlock Paradise: 3-Day Escape at Hammock Beach Resort
A dear friend of mine won an amazing weekend during a silent auction to the gorgeous Hammock Beach Resort located in Palm Coast, Florida. I was thrilled when she asked me to go in her place. I have never won anything and this certainly felt like I won! This place is out of my normal price range, so I was thrilled to be able to go! I had also never been to Palm Coast, FL. We went the first part of March, during what was not quite what would be considered Spring Break. Palm Coast is about 8 hours from home, done easily in a day. This place that we…
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How to Paint a Vanity with Annie Sloan
We have posted one bathroom vanity makeover and here is the second. This was originally painted an extreme high gloss off white. It looked dirty and dingy. I am a big believer that gloss only belongs on baseboards and trim, anywhere else and it can start to look unclean. When you are dealing with a high gloss paint, most of the time there is going to be a good bit of sanding. There is just no other way to get anything to stick to that paint…unless, you use chalk paint. It will pretty much stick to anything. I don’t like to sand unless absolutely necessary. It’s a lot of work and…
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Discover Paradise: Your Ultimate Guide to Anna Maria Island
When I graduated, I wanted to go somewhere tropical since I had never been anywhere in the Caribbean or any island for that matter. I wanted the clear blue water that only the Caribbean seemed to offer…..or so I thought. I brought up a map on Google of Florida, I went straight for the Keys because of the distinct blue water surrounding the tip of Florida. After searching for what seemed like hours for a house we could rent, I decided the Keys might be a little too far to drive. Then I started looking at the Gulf of Mexico and worked my way up. I landed on a little…
